Science for Two
by Lyra Kamiya
Summary: Fennel worries over how much time her classmate spends working alone.


**A/N:** Just a quick present for a friend/fellow Science Wives fan who was feeling down.

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**Science for Two**  
_Lyraeon_

The University of Unova's main campus had one of the largest science departments in the nation, and possibly the world. As such, it was a pioneer in many fields, offering majors that couldn't be found anywhere else.

Pokemon - or rather, Biology with a focus in Pokemon - was one such major. The department was small, consisting of four professors, two interconnected lab rooms, and three classrooms, one of which had been sectioned off to provide a small office space for the professors. Overseeing it all was Professor Cedric Juniper… and happily working her way toward being one of the first to receive their degree from the program was his daughter, Aurea.

It was only by chance that Fennel had managed to meet her. Her choice of major had been a last minute one - she had actually intended to go into Psychology - but her interest in dreams had pulled her to the Pokemon major at the passing suggestion of Cedric himself. The small class sizes meant that, even though they were a year apart, Fennel had multiple classes with Aurea, and the cramped department meant she passed her in the halls often.

She wasn't sure when she'd fallen in love with the department's star pupil, or even why she had. It could have been the brilliance of both her words and her smile when she made class presentations; the intense work ethic and dedication that kept her in the lab long after the building was locked most nights; or maybe it was just how peaceful and beautiful she looked on the nights she worked too late and fell asleep at her desk.

They'd spoken in class, though they'd never fully worked together. Aurea made no time in her schedule for a social life, but Fennel still felt like they were friends, and for three long semesters she tried to tell herself that was enough.

Through a classroom door, she glimpsed the brunette sitting at her desk, brow furrowed as she looked over a stack of papers, chewing on the cap of the highlighter she held poised above them. For a moment she watched, hoping she wouldn't be noticed, just smiling wistfully to herself about how devoted to her work Aurea was. Then, she noticed this was another night in the pattern she'd seen, and it made her worry. It was close to 9 on a Friday night, and Fennel knew she'd seen her in that same position at least three hours before, so she doubted she'd had dinner or even moved in that time.

A sudden boldness crossed her, and she raised one fist and gently knocked on the door, hesitating not quite long enough to get an answer before nudging it open a few degrees. "Aurea?" she called through the gap, and the older girl snapped out of her daze, blinking.

"Fennel! Sorry, I was just doing some research… what're you doing here so late?" She waved her inside, setting down her highlighter.

"Well… I was just on my way out. I was actually planning on picking up some pizza on my way home and, well, I saw you here still and thought… maybe you'd like to come with me?" The offer was simple and direct. A verbal hand extended in offer of friendship that extended past the campus grounds.

Aurea smiled softly, then shook her head with a sigh. "I want to get this done before I head home, I've got an experiment I want to prepare over the weekend-"

"I can bring you back some, then? You've been here all afternoon."

"Don't trouble yourself, I've got some TV dinners at home."

Fennel brushed her hair behind her shoulder nervously, watching the upperclassman as she reached for her book again. "If you don't like pizza, we could go for something else instead," she announced. "Please, it'll be my treat. In return for all the help in lab last semester."

Aurea blinked, pulling her hand back again, feeling a little taken aback by her insistence. "No, pizza is fine, I just have a lot to get done. Some other time, I promise," she offered, trying to make it sound less like she was offering the quiet girl's friendship.

"Next week, maybe?" Fennel suggested, trying not to let her smile's waver show. Aurea nodded, and the black-haired girl ducked back out the door, calling. "I'll let you get back to work, then."

There was another knock forty minutes later, and while Aurea felt completely befuddled as she started at the clock, she still managed a, "Come in?"

Fennel pushed the door open, and now in addition to her book bag she was carrying the largest pizza box Aurea had ever seen and a six-pack of soda. "F-fennel!" she stammered, jumping up to grab the teetering box from her hands, leaving her free to shut the door behind herself. "What are you doing back here?"

"Well, I started to head back home, but then I realized… If you're going to stay up late every night, you shouldn't have to do it alone. So I came back so we can stay up all night doing science, together."

As Aurea stared in awe at Fennel's beaming face, adorned with her shameless smile and trademark blush, she felt something melt inside her, and she couldn't help but smile too.

From that night on, she would never do science alone again.


End file.
